Few would object to a claim that Savannah has a housing issue it needs to fix. More than an ordinary issue, however, this was tabbed as a full-on “housing crisis” by Savannah City Manager Jay Melder earlier this summer. To date, Savannah’s search for a solution has not become readily apparent. On Tuesday, Aug. 13, the Chatham County – Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) will take its turn trying to tackle the issue by way of policy. According to the meeting agenda for Tuesday afternoon’s regular session of the MPC, the board will have a “discussion” regarding “an affordable housing policy solution for Savannah” at the meeting’s conclusion.

Board members (12) will base their discussion on four benchmark questions, according to the presentation attachment on the agenda. They are:

• How have we quantified the current housing deficit?
• Who is the underhoused population?
• How can housing that meets the identified needs potentially be integrated into the city?
• What are the key components of a Savannah-specific policy solution?

The MPC “hears and makes decisions on zoning-related petitions in unincorporated Chatham County and the City of Savannah,” according to its website. “The board is composed of 12 members appointed by Chatham County and the City of Savannah, as well as two ex-officio members: the County Manager (Michael Kaigler) and the City Manager (Melder).”
Melder, who was hired in the summer of 2021, said that “Savannah is in the middle of a housing crisis” while speaking during an “Open Government PM Open House” held at the Civic Center on July 7. That same summer, as Melder was taking over in his role as City Manager, the Housing Savannah Task Force (HSTF) created in 2020 was returning major findings from its study into “Savannah’s housing affordability challenge.”

“About 21,000 (40%) Savannah households have a difficult time affording quality housing,” read the study’s summary. “Households with annual income less than $50,000 or individuals with annual incomes less than $35,000 are likely to have a difficult time affording quality housing.”

HSTF provided City of Savannah leaders with a Strategy Item and Action Plan (see above) that included 43 possible strategies for fixing the issue. At the time, the study found that housing costs had outpaced the average income for Savannahians by a 2:1 rate over the previous three decades. It’s what led to the city’s conclusion that summer, one summarized succinctly on the city’s website.

“Savannah does not have enough quality housing available at affordable prices for a significant percentage of residents.”

Tuesday afternoon’s MPC meeting will be held at 112 E. State St. and is open to the public. Meetings begin at 1:30.

This article appears in Connect Savannah I July 2024.